Negative-developing and printing device



July 11, 1933. L. G. SIMJIAN NEGATIVE DEVELOPING AND PRINTING DEVICEFiled Sept. 21, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE LUTHER [1.EIIMJIAN July 11,1933. L. G, $|MJ|AN 1,918,061

NEGATIVE DEVELOPING AND PRINTING DEVICE Filed Sept; 21, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE TIIIF k ATTY y 11, 1933- L. G. SIMJIAN NEGATIVEDEVELOPING AND PRINTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3LlJTi-IEFK G.E :1|MJ|AN ww AT y y 1933- L. G. SIMJIAN NEGATIVEDEVELOPING AND PRINTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4I-NVE "FLIP-k LUTHEFIK G.EIIMJIAN AT'TY July 11, 1933- L. G. SIMJIANNEGATIVE DEVELOPING AND PRINTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 5 N m M E E Q E H T U IL Patented July 11, 1933 LUTHER G.8mm, 0] NEW HAVEN, OONNEGI'ICUT NmATIVE-DEVELOPIN G AND PRINTING DEVICEApplication filed September 21, 1931.

This inventionrelates to negative-develop ing and printing devices, andmore especially to that class of such devices that provides for contactprinting while the negatives are still wet by reason of a developingprocess.

The objects of the invention are to provide an automaticnegative-developing device, having parts relatively movable, and ofwhich one part holds negative material previously exposed, and the otherpart automatically dispenses developing fluids to develop the negativematerial during the relative movement of the parts; to provide acombined negative-developing and printing device of parts relativelymovable and of which one part holds, hermetically sealed, sensitizedmaterial in contact with negative material previously exposed, and theother part automatically dispenses developing fluids and provides alight-beam to respectively develop the negative material and print theimage, thus developed, upon the sensitized material during the relativemovement of the parts; to provide for such a device a support defining apath for the travel of a movable part adapted to carry a hermeticallysealed holding means for sensitized material in contact with negativematerial previously exposed; to provide for such a device a supportdefining a path for a movablepart and providing at intervals, along oneportion of the'path, means for dispensing developing fluids, andvproviding illumination for the other portionof thepath to provide forsuch a device, a support defining paths, fora movable part, upondifferent elevations, and providing an elevator adapted to connect saidpaths; and to provide such .paths and elevator with means for moving amovable part of the device along both paths. With these and otherobjects in view as may become apparent from the vwithin disclosures, theinvention consists not only of the particular form herein pointed outand illustrated by the drawings but readily admits of certainmodifications withinthe scope of what hereinafter may be claimed.

While the character of the invention has a broad application to the artof photogra- Serial No. 564,068.

phy, it may be best understood by reference .to one illustrative deviceembodying the invention and illustrated by the several fi ures of theaccompanying drawings in whic the Figure l is an upright elevation ofone side of the device; the Figure 2 is an upright front elevation ofthe device; the F igure 3 is a top view of the device; the Figure 4 isan upright elevation of the device with a wall removed to illustrate theinterior; the Figure 5 is an upright elevation of the device, inperspective, with on elm vator wall removed and illustrating certaingeared connections; the Figure 6 is an upright elevation oi the side ofthe device opposite to that illustrated by the Figure 1; the Figure 7 isa perspective view of a valve member of the device; the Figure 8 is aperspective view of a conveyor and part pivot-ally carried thereby; theFigureril is a bottom view of the conveyor; the Figure 10 is aperspective view of a basined clamping-frame member; the Fi ure 11 is aview of the separated parts oi the clampingirame member; the Figure 12is a perspective detail view of a chain portion; and the Figure 13 is afragmentary view of a portion of an interior of the device, illustratingin full and dotted lines different positions of the part pivotallycarried by the conveyor.

The improvement about to be disclosed is somewhat related to two(so-pending applications for Letters Patent, both applications havingbeen filed by the petitioner July 13, 1931, for improvements in theprocess of producing photographic proof prints, Serial Numbers %,541 and550,542, in that the loasined olampingi'rame, hereinafter described aspart oi the improved negativedeveloping and printing device, isillustrated and described as an important feature in both processes forwhich applications were thus made.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the support 1 may be of anydesired form or structure that provides the interior floors 2 and 3, anddefines the paths 4 and 5, respectively, of which one path is darkenedand the other is illuminated and both paths are upon the same ordifferent elevaand n 10, and 11 and 12, respectively, a sprocket wheel13 being fixedly mounted upon the same shaft 15 that carries thesprocket wheel 12, the sprocket wheel 13 havin an endless chainconnection with an electric motor 14 by which power may be transmittedto the endless chain 8. Fixedly mounted u on the same shaft 16, as thesprocket w eel 11, is the gear wheel 17 in permanent mesh with the gearwheel 18 fixedly mounted upon the shaft 19, both shafts 16 and 19 beingmounted in parallel relation, one with the other, upon the floor 3, theshaft 16 projecting exteriorly of the support 1 and there provided witha fixed}? mounted sprocket wheel 20 having an en less chain connectionwith the sprocket wheel 21 fixedly mounted upon the shaft 22 journaledin the bracket 23 and fixedly carrying the gear wheel 24 for a purposeto be explained. The shaft 19 projects exteriorly of the support 1, uponthe opposite side of the support to that upon which the shaft 16projects, and is there provided with a fixedly mounted sprocket wheel 25having a chain connection with the sprocket wheel 26 fixedly mountedupon the shaft 27 j ournaled in the bracket 28 and fixedly carrying thegear wheel 29 also for a purpose to be explained. The projecting shaft19 is also provided with the sprocket wheel 30 having an endless chainconnection with a sprocket wheel 31 fixedly mounted upon an exteriorlyprojected portion of the shaft 32 upon which the sprocket wheel 9 ismounted and thus transmitting to the endless chain 7 a movement oppositeto that transmitted to the endless chain 8 by the motor 14. The elevator33 is suspended by the cable 34 supported by the pulley wheel 35 mountedupon the standard 36 mounted upon the support 1, a weight 37, attachedto the opposite end of the cable 34, being sufficient to maintain anunloaded elevator 33 in an elevated position at the end of the path 4,the elevator having side flanged portions 38 slidably engaging withinthe vertically extending slots 39 provided by the support 1, one of theslots 39 being illustrated bythe Fi ure 5. Mounted interiorly uponeither si e of the elevator 33 are the spaced tracks 40, andintermediate of and below said tracks 40 is the pinion 42 fixedlymounted upon the shaft 43 of which both extremities project exteriorlyof the elevator 33 and upon said extremities are fixedly mounted thegear.

wheels 44 and 45, respectively, the ear wheel 44 being meshable with thegear w eel 29 for operation in one direction when the elevator 33 is inits upper position upon the level with the path 4, and the gear wheel 45being meshable with the ear wheel 24 for operation in the oppositeirection when the e evator 33 is in its lower position u n the levelwith the path 5, the paths 4 an 5 each having u n its sides the tracks46 in longitudinal a ignment with the tracks 40 of the elevator 33 whenupon their respective levels. The conveyor 47 is a movable platform orcontainer having exteriorly the rollers 48 adapted to run upon thetracks 46 and 40, the conveyor 47 having u 11 its bottom the pin 49 forengagement y any of the multiple upright structures 50 provided by theendless chains 7 and 8 thus adapted to move the conveyor 47 along eitherof the paths 4 or 5 as the conveyor 47 is placed upon the tracks 46. Thebottom of the conveyor 47 is also provided with the rack 51 forengagement by the pinion 42 to move the conveyor 47 upon the tracks 40of the elevator 33 as the conveyor 47 approaches the elevator 33 in itsupper position upon the level with the path 4, or to move the conveyor47 out of the elevator 33 onto the tracks 46 of the path 5. The conveyor47 is provided with the rockable tray 52 pivotally swung overhead bymeans of the shaft 53 fixed to said tray 52 and extending throu h thebores 54 with which the ends 55 of t e conveyor 47 are provided, one orboth of the shafts 53 extending beyond the bore 54 and having fixedthereto the arms 56 and 57 varying slightly in the length and direction.As the conveyor 47 is moved along the path 4, the longer. arm 56 slidesalong a rail 58 with which the side of the path 4 is provided, the arm56, and hence the rockable tray 52, being suddenly and repeatedlyoperated by the contact of the arm 56 with multiple short series ofslight projections 59 provided by the rail 58- in the path of said arm56, the arm 57, and hence the rockable tray 52, bein operated atpredetermined intervals by t e greater projections, one of which isillustrated by the Figure 13, as at 60, to tip the tray 52. The tray 52is adapted to carry the clamping-frame 61 comprising the base-plate 62of which the inside surface 63 is made of arcuate form and provided witha flexible mat 64 preferably made of rubber and yielding to said arcuateform of the surface 63. Upon the mat 64 is placed any sensitizedmaterial,

preferably printing-out paper (not illustrated), 1n contact with thefilm or other negative material (not illustrated) which has beenpreviousl exposed photographically. A flexible rame 65 is then placedupon the negative material and a rigid marginal frame, 66' having thecenter structure 67 is laced thereon exposing the face of the negativematerial within the rigid frame 66.

A clamping-bar 68, having an intermediate threaded bore 69v with athumb-screw 70 therein, engages its extremities within the interfacislots 71 provided bythe baseplate 62, e thumb-screw being adapted to bescrewed down upon the center structure 67 and thereby forcing the mat 64and flexible frame 65, to ther with the material thus mar inally hel toassume the arcuate form of t e surface 63 and maintaini the sensitizedmaterial hermetically seal to be water-tight, the assembled clampingframe device providing a basin within which the face only of thenegative material is exposed. The support 1 is provided with the h uidcontainers 72 and 73 adapted to hold developing and fixing fluids,respectively, the containers having conduits 74 and 75, respectively,with outlets 76 and 77 at spaced rtions of the path 4, the conduits 74and 5 having the valves 78 and 79, respectively, each valve beingspring-pressed to a normal closed condition, but operable to a momentaryopen condition by means of the connecting rods 80 and 81 and levers 82and 83, respectively, the levers 82 and'83 each being engaged by theadvancing conveyor 47 along the path 4. The support 1 is also providedwith the conduit 84 and thevalve 85 connectible with a water supply, theconduit 84 having an outlet 86 at a portion of the path 4 intermediatethe outlets 76 and 77 and the valve 85, normally spring-pressed to aclosed condition, being operable to a momentary open condition by meansof the rods 87 and the lever 88 operatively engageable by the advance ofthe conveyor 47 to the portion of the path 4 adjacent the elevator 33.Mounted upon the support 1 and the cable 34-are parts of the air-cushiondevice 89 adapted to retard the downward movement of the loaded elevator33., The path 5 is illuminated by a vapor light 90 0t sufiicientintensity to print out the sensitized material as the conveyor 47'travels the path 5 in its connection, by means of the pin 49 engagedwith one of the multiple structures 50, with the endless chain 8. Thevalves 78 and 79 are of a type having the body portion 91 provided withthe bores 92 and 93, the inlet nozzle 94, the outlet nozzle 95, the yoke96 and the spring-pressed member .97, the member 97 having at its innerextremity a rubber cushion 98 and,

at the opposite extremity, a perforation 99 for theoccupancy of the headof a lever 100, the head being intercepted by an adjusting vscrew 101,and the lever having a cam extremity 102 operable b means of thehorizontal movement of a shoulder 103 provided by and carried by anyconvenient portion of the conveyor 47.

In, operation, the water-tight clampingframe 61, with the sensitized andnegative materials therein as aforesaid, is placed u on the tray 52 andthe conveyor 47 is p aced upon the tracks 46 of the path 4 where one ofthe uprights 50 of the endless ipiaosi chain'zm mhmspiniammmaa theFigure 13, is intermittently operated by each 0 said series suflicientlyto agitate the fluid content of the basined clamping-frame 61, whichcontent, owing to the arcuate surface 63 of its basin, is given addedmotion in undulating form. Upon the conveyor 47 reaching a greaterprojection 60, the arm 57 is operated to tip the tray 52, as illustratedin dotted lines by the Figure 13, and hence the basined clamping-frame61, thereby spilling the content of the basin into the container of theconveyor 47. When gravity returns the tray 52 to its normal erectposition andthe conveyor 47 has sufiiciently advanced along the path 4and under the outlet 86, it contacts with the lever 88 to momentarilyopen the valve 85, a quantity of water thereby being delivered to thebasined clamping-frame 61 to rinse the face of the negative material,exposed within the basin, as the content is agitated by the furthercontact of the arm 56 with series of projections 59. A. contact of thearm 57 with a greater projection 60 again tips the tray 52, togetherwith the basined clamping-frame 61, to spill the content of the basininto the container of the conveyor 47. Gravity again restoring the tray52 to its normal erect position and the conveyor 47 having advancedsufficiently to arrive under the outlet 77 and contact with and operatethe lever 83, the fixing fluid is thereby released from the container 72and delivered to the basin of the clamping-frame 61 in suliicientquantity, and the contact of the arm 56 with the series of projections59 agitating the basin content as before, and contact of the arm 57 witha greater projection 60 tips the tray 52, and hence the basinedclamping-frame 61, to spill the basin content into the container of theconve or 47. The conveyor 47, having reached t e elevator 33, meshes therack 51 with the pinion 42 as the pinion 42 rotates 'by reason of itsgeared connection with the gear wheel 29, thereby moving the conveyor 47onto the elevator 33 as the pin 49 is about to ride out of contact withthe upright structure 50 of the endless chain 7 with which it has beenengaged. The added weight of the conveyor 47 to the weight of theelevator 33 releases the elevator 33 from its upper level Ill positionand breaks the geared connection of the pinion 42'with the gear wheel29, the force of gravity in excess of the resistance of the weight 37operating the elevator 33 downwardly while the air-cushion 89 retardsits downward course until it reaches the lower level of the ath 5. Uponreaching such lower level, t e pinion 42 is automatically given a earedconnection with the gear wheel 24 an is thereby rotated in itsconnection with the rack 51 to move the conveyor out of the elevatortoward the path 5 to engage the pin 49 with one of the multiple uprightstructures 50 of the endless chain 8 thus adapted to carry the conveyor47 along the path 5 under the elongated ray of the vapor lamp 9Odirected upon the exposed face of the wet negative materlal as theconveyor 47 moves under the ray which prints out the sensitized materialto produce thereon the image of the negative material developed asaforesaid.

The great advantage of the above-described and improvednegative-developing and printing device is most obvious. To be able toplace photographically exposed negative material in this device and incontact with sensitized material, and automaticall have the negativedeveloped and the sensitized material printed out beforebeing returnedto hand, makes it possible, not only for the photographer to busyhimself in the meanwhile in photographically exposing other negativematerial, but to expedite the process of developing and printing in thatit is not necessar to first dry the wet negative material be oreprinting.

While a. specific structure is herein illustrated and set forth asproviding fixed paths and a material holding member movable along saidpaths, the material holding member might be a darkened stationary memberand the structure providing the developing fluids, the means fordispensing the same, and the means for printing might be relativelymovable as regards the material holding member, or the paths 4 and 5,instead of being upon different levels, might be arranged upon the samelevel in straight or curved continuance.

I claim e 1. A movable platform upon a support of a negative developingdevice, means provided by the support for moving the platform, theplatform being adapted to carry a member enclosing sensitized materialin contact with previously exposed negative material, the platform beingprovided with means for operating valves provided by the container ofdeveloping fluids provided by the support for application to thenegative material while the platform is moving 2. A movable platformupon a support of a negative developing device, means provided by thesupport for moving the platform,

emme-1 the platform being adapted to carry a member enclosing sensitizedmaterial in contact with previously exposed negative material, theplatform being provided with means for operating valves of developingfluids provided by the support for application to the negative materialwhile the platform is moving, and means provided by the platform and thesupport to agitate the fluids thus applied;

3. A negative-developing and printing device comprising a support, acontainer provided by the support, the container and the support beingrelatively movable, a rocking tray member provided by the container anda frame having a darkened basin and carried by the tray, the basin beingadapted to hold, hermetically sealed, sensitized paper in contact withnegative material, the face only of the negative material being exposedwithin the darkened basin, automatic means provided by the support andthe container for applying developing fluids to said face with in thebasin, rocking and tipping means provided by the trayand the support torespectively agitate and spill the basin contents, and a light sourceproviding a light-beam directed upon the said face to print the imagesof the negative, thus developed, upon the sensitized paper;

4. A negative developing device comprising a support, a containerprovided by the support, t e container and the support being relativelymovable, a rocking tray member provided by the container and a framehaving a darkened basin and carried by the tray, the basin being adaptedto hold, hermetically sealed, sensitized paper in contact with negativematerial, the face only of the negative material being exposed withinthe darkened basin, automatic means provided by the support and thecontainer for applying developing fluids to said face within the basin,and rocking and tipping means provided by the tray and the support torespectively agitate and spill the basin contents;

5. A film-developing and printing device comprising a support, a definedpath pro rovided by the container vided by the support, a conveyoradapted to travel said path, and means to move said conveyor, saidconveyor having a rockable images of wet films, thus developed, upon thesensitized paper;

6. An automatic negative-developing and printing device comprising asupport, a defined path provided by the support, said path including adarkened chamber, a con- I .veyor adapted to travel along said path,

said conveyor having a rockable tray, a basined water-tightclamping-frame carried by said tray, said frame being adapted to receiveand to hold, hermetically sealed, printing-out paper in contact withnegative material, the face only of the negative material being exposedfor developing Within the basin, means for moving the conveyor alongsaid path, separate sources of developing, fixing and rinsing fluids,each source having conduits to spaced portions of said darkened chamber,automatic means for the separate and timed delivery of said fluids fromsaid sources to the basin of the frame at predetermined intervals alongsaid darkened chamber, means for alternately rocking and tipping saidtray at predetermined intervals along said darkened chamber torespectively agitate and to spill the basin contents, and a light sourcewithin the other portion of said path and providing an elongatedlight-beam directed upon said face within said basin to print the imageof the negative, thus developed, upon the printingout paper;

7. An automatic negative-developing and printing device comprising asupport, defined paths provided by the support upon difl'erentelevations, one of said paths providing a darkened chamber and the otherpath being illuminated, a conveyor adapted to travel said paths, thepaths being connected by means of a gravity elevator, a rockable trayprovided by the conveyor, a basined water-tight clamping-frame carriedby said tray, said frame being adapted to receive and to hold,hermetically sealed, printing-out paper in contact with negativematerial, the face only of the negative material being exposed fordeveloping within the basin, means for moving the conveyor along onepath and into the elevator and along the other path, sources ofdeveloping, fixing and rinsing fluids provided by the support, eachsource having conduits to spaced portions of the darkened chamber,automatic means for the separate and timed application of said fluids tosaid face within said basin at predetermined intervals along saiddarkened chamber, means for alternately rocking and tipping said tray atpredetermined intervals along said darkened chamber to respectivelyagitate and to spill the basin contents, and a light-beam along saidilluminated path and directed upon said face to print the image of thenegative, thus developed, upon printing-out pap 8. An automaticnegative-developing and printing device comprising a support, definedpaths provided by the support upon different elevations, one of saidpaths providing a darkened chamber and the other path being illuminated,a conveyor adapted to travel said paths, the paths being connected bymeans of a gravity elevator, a rockable tray provided by the conveyor, abasined water-tight clamping-frame carried by said tray, said framebeing adapted to receive and to hold, hermetically sealed, printing-outpaper in contact with negative material, the face only of the negativematerial being exposed for developing within the basin, means for movingthe conveyor along one path and into the elevator and along the otherpath, sources of developing, fixing and rinsing fluids provided by thesupport, each source having conduits to spaced portions of the darkenedchamber, automatic means for the separate and timed application of saidfluids to said face within said basin at predetermined intervals alongsaid darkened chamber, means for alternately rocking and tipping saidtray at predetermined intervals along said darkened chamber torespectively agitate and to spill the basin contents, and a light-beamalong said illuminated path and directed upon said face to print theimage of the negative, thus developed, upon the printing-out paper, saidmeans for moving the conveyor comprising an endless chain with whicheach path is provided, the chains having geared connection for movementin opposite directions and each chain having automatic means forconnecting and disconnecting with means provided by said conveyor, and arack and pinion with which the conveyor and elevator are provided, thepinion being shiftingly connectible with said geared connection and theovement of the pinion being reversible, atcording to the position of theelevator.

LUTHER G. SIMJIAN.

